Libertarians and Moderates both claim to have aspects from both Left & Right.

Libertarians are more fiscally conservative than the Right and more socially free than the Left.

So what is the Moderate? More socially restrictive than the Left and less fiscally responsible than the Right? Why would anyone pick Moderate over Libertarian? It sounds like the Moderate likes the status quo norm from both sides.

It depends what you mean by moderate. I usually conceive of it through a 2d axis like the one on politicalcompass.com with social and economic views forming the lines. With economic views the meaning is pretty straight forward but it would seem that moderate could encompass a wide variety of views with different emphasis on different issues.

At 11/5/2012 3:59:57 PM, GeoLaureate8 wrote:Not quite, but they claim that as their platform and they are in fact more fiscally responsible than the Left.

Their form of "fiscal responsibility" entails pork and benefits for the corporate elite as well as nonsensically high defense spending.

Abusing pork ought to be a criminally liable offense subject to ten years of imprisonment.

Obama took poor tax payer money and gave it to rich bankers to go take a vacation. Obama spent more on the military than Bush. Obama's defense budget cut was actually a spending increase disguised by future defense cuts that will never happen.

At 11/5/2012 4:05:58 PM, GeoLaureate8 wrote:So where do Moderates differ from Libertarians? Because Libertarians are thought of as extreme and crazy for supporting freedom and free markets (see Ron Paul). Yet Moderates are not seen as extreme.

Where a Libertarian has conservative "economic views" and liberal "social views", a Moderate has a mix of each. This means it's a very diverse term.

So what defines a Moderate? What is the common theme that Moderates agree on?

At 11/5/2012 4:05:58 PM, GeoLaureate8 wrote:So where do Moderates differ from Libertarians? Because Libertarians are thought of as extreme and crazy for supporting freedom and free markets (see Ron Paul). Yet Moderates are not seen as extreme.

Where a Libertarian has conservative "economic views" and liberal "social views", a Moderate has a mix of each. This means it's a very diverse term.

So what defines a Moderate? What is the common theme that Moderates agree on?

At 11/5/2012 3:48:39 PM, GeoLaureate8 wrote:Libertarians and Moderates both claim to have aspects from both Left & Right.

Libertarians are more fiscally conservative than the Right and more socially free than the Left.

That is based on the Noland Chart, which states that the Right wing is in favor of economic freedom and the left wing is in favor of personal freedom. According to the Nolan Chart Conservatives for economic freedom and against personal freedom, Liberals are for personal freedom and against economic freedom, libertarians are for both economic and personal freedom, and authoritarians are against both economic and personal freedom. A moderate would be someone who are neither for nor against both freedoms.The Nolan Chart is not based on historical fact, but rather David Nolan's own personal perception.In reality the right are traditionalists, the left are reformists, authoritarians are collectivists, and libertarians are individualists.

So what is the Moderate? More socially restrictive than the Left and less fiscally responsible than the Right? Why would anyone pick Moderate over Libertarian? It sounds like the Moderate likes the status quo norm from both sides.

According to the Nolan chart, those who are nether for nor against Freedom in general.According to real life, those who are neither for nor against both the status quo, and collectivism.

"Chemical weapons are no different than any other types of weapons."~Lordknukle

At 11/5/2012 3:59:57 PM, GeoLaureate8 wrote:Not quite, but they claim that as their platform and they are in fact more fiscally responsible than the Left.

Their form of "fiscal responsibility" entails pork and benefits for the corporate elite as well as nonsensically high defense spending.

Abusing pork ought to be a criminally liable offense subject to ten years of imprisonment.

Obama took poor tax payer money and gave it to rich bankers to go take a vacation. Obama spent more on the military than Bush. Obama's defense budget cut was actually a spending increase disguised by future defense cuts that will never happen.

I will concede that Obama has done all of these horrendous things. However, he also passed the NDAA, which will protect our nation from harm.

At 11/5/2012 4:46:58 PM, blameworthy wrote:I will concede that Obama has done all of these horrendous things. However, he also passed the NDAA, which will protect our nation from harm.

Are you trolling or is this serious.

I am not trolling. I am in support of the NDAA and the Patriot Act. I have no problem with the government regulating behavior. In fact, I am willing to support a DNA database of every citizen, felon and nonfelon. In addition to simplifying crime speed processing and reducing identity theft, it would cut down significantly on voter fraud and illegal immigration.

So where do Moderates differ from Libertarians? Because Libertarians are thought of as extreme and crazy for supporting freedom and free markets (see Ron Paul). Yet Moderates are not seen as extreme.

Moderates are usually just watered-down versions of Libertarians, who also are very less fringe then true Libertarians are.

Libertarians, who believe in free markets and are socially liberal, are actually about 25% - 40% of the electorate, or agree with what I just said. Many people just don't know what the term is to describe their beliefs.

"The solution [for Republicans] is to admit that Bush was a bad president, stop this racist homophobic stuff, stop trying to give most of the tax cuts to the rich, propose a real alternative to Obamacare that actually works, and propose smart free market solutions to our economic problems." - Distraff

"Americans are better off in a dynamic, free-enterprise-based economy that fosters economic growth, opportunity and upward mobility." - Paul Ryan